Sublimation
by Manga Nin
Summary: He failed to grasp what he had been denied, but now Ulquiorra has returned. With his path set to finding his sublimation in the form a red-haired teenager. Orihime is all too eager to help him achieve his goals. Dedicated to BosBaBe. XP
1. Prologue  We All Are

**Hello, I'm Manga. Welcome to 'Sublimation'. This is going to be my first Bleach fanfic, so go easy on me. The main focus for this story is UlquiHime but there will be other pairings as the story progresses, but I think I'm gonna keep that a little secret for now. ^^ ((I think IchiHime is just plain ****wrong****!)) If there is any problem with spelling or grammar, please forgive me… I'm studying for my Afrikaans cycle test. Anywho carrying on now. This entire story is also dedicated to my bestest buddy, BosBaBe. Hope you enjoy this B-day present Mitchie; sorry I can't give you one in person! (I know this is a little on the late side… sorry.) I hope everyone else enjoys reading this too. (The following is almost like a whole plot summery for the story and I know that it's a sort of weird place to find inspiration for a story, but when I read it, it inspired me none the less. But please don't shoot me about it! I get enough of that from the fanatics in my class.) **

"_Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. _

_For I have set a man against his father … And a person's enemies will be those of his own household…" _

Matthew 10:34-36

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach … It belongs to Tite Kubo. **

**Enjoy the prologue: **

**We All Are**

Orihime sat still in her chair, holding her head up in her palm while her other hand dashed across the paper, writing all the methods and formulae she had memorized for her maths exam. She put the pen down and rested her throbbing hand for a moment, looking over her answer. Satisfied, she picked up the pen and started with the next equation. She finished her long eight question paper, but still had another seventeen minutes left before the teacher would take in the exams. She pulled her clean scrap page -that she was supposed to use for scribbling possible math solutions on- out from under her exam and started mindlessly gliding the pen along the page. She traced the over the same pattern over and over again, until the teacher hit a small siren and told the students to stop writing.

She heard someone still desperately trying to squeeze in a few extra points before the teacher reached them. Orihime lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at Ichigo, who seemed to be concentrating fiercely as he dashed down the final equation. A waving hand drew her attention away from Kurosaki-kun. Rukia somehow sat directly in front of Ichigo and right across Orihime to the left. The petite blue-eyed girl gave Orihime a big thumbs-up when the teacher collected her paper and went to Ichigo.

"Mr Kurosaki, I believe I said that you should stop writing, didn't I?" The teacher asked him sarcastically, with a large smile on her face. She snatched the paper out from under his hands, but he quickly grabbed the very edge of the paper and tried to get it back from her. "Just 'gimme another minute, teach!" he begged as the two fought for the paper, but she was stronger than he thought she would be and yanked it out of his hands.

Ichigo wined and slammed his orange-haired head onto the desk. Rukia leaned backwards in her chair, balancing on its hind legs, and gave him a few mocking pats on his head and withdrew before he could hit her hand away.

Orihime suppressed a giggle and looked down at her page. She felt her heart sink. On it was an eye, drawn with rough dark blue lines, and a single tear streak sliding down its cheek. She heard the teacher moving down her row, so she clenched the paper in her fist, crumbling it into a tight ball. She put it to one side on her desk and happily gave her exam to the teacher, who was grateful not to have to wrestle with another student for their exam.

The teacher went to her desk in the front of the class and banged a ruler against the chalkboard to get everyone's attention. "Now, I know today was your last exam, and that after I let you go, you start with you holiday. So," Orihime shut her mind down. It was the same speech term after term! Always going along the line of enjoy your vacation and don't break an arm or something so that you can stay at home for another week. Students started laughing and cheering, storming towards the door, their door to freedom for a whole four weeks. The teacher went out after her students and thanked whatever god there was that someone invented school holidays.

Orihime waited patiently for the latter of the crowd to push and heave their way to and out the door. A firm hand rested on her should. Ichigo was standing by her, smiling. "That was some exam! I'm just glad we now have some freedom at last!" Rukia sat on the desk in front of Orihime and looked at Ichigo with an evil glint in her eye.

"What do you mean 'some freedom at last'?" She asked. "You and I are gonna help over at Soul Society for a few weeks while they try to sort out all their new recruits."

"What!" He balled his hands at his sides and then shot them out at Rukia to strangle her. Luckily she was more agile and ducked under his arms and stepped in on the other side of Orihime. She stuck her small pink tongue out at him. "I'm gonna kill you midget! How can you just go and put up my name for volunteer work over a school holiday!"

"Would you two stop, or at least get a room," the pair looked back to the corner of the classroom and saw Uryu sitting calmly with one leg crossed over the other. The two stopped their arguing and glared at the Quincy with anger. Chad was just standing next to his own desk near the centre of the classroom and looked out the windows. Tatsuki had her back against the wall by the door, with a smug grin on her face.

"Everything's still on for tomorrow, right?" Keigo asked from the doorway.

"Well of course, unless you all wanna chicken out because I'm gonna beat all your sorry asses at that competition!" Ichigo mimicked some chicken sounds just for extra effect.

Tatsuki's smile on grew wider. "It's more likely that you'll find Keigo with a girlfriend than see me back down." She was as competitive as ever. Keigo blew his top. "How do you know I don't have a girlfriend already?" Tatsuki snorted. "Well, then I think we better arrange a funeral for the poor girl then." Everyone laughed. "So, you in Orihime?"

"Yup." She was rather looking forward to it, not the competition as much, but she was looking forward to getting out of the city for a while. The whole gang started making bets about which team was going to win; the boys or the girls. She didn't care who won, she just wanted to have a fun, carefree time with her friends for the first time in what seemed like years. Sure, after her and the two Shinigami's return from Hueco Mundo, they all hung out at the mall and met at the park, but there was never any real relaxation or peaceful silence there, just the constant haggard breath of the city.

Orihime stood up from her chair and walked casually to the door while the others continued joking. "Hey, where are you goin'?" Tatsuki leaned over and stretched her arm all the way over to the other door post and blocked her way. "I just realized that I still need to pack and we're going tomorrow. I don't even know if I even have everything." Orihime gave a small smile and rubbed the back of her neck.

"All right then," Tatsuki pushed herself out of the way. "Then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at Ichigo's?"

"Sure thing." Orihime said her goodbyes and left the classroom.

"Hey, is it just me or has she been acting, I don't know… different lately?" Keigo asked loudly after the auburn haired teenager had left. Orihime still laughed, cried, told jokes and made her horrible food, but… everyone just picked up a different vibe from her since she got back from Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo and Rukia looked grimly at each other. Besides Uryu, and the two Shinigami, no one actually knew what the Espada had done to her, but then again not even the Quincy and Shinigami actually knew. Grimmjow had stated that they had screwed around in her mind and that she was one of them now, but that didn't really explain why she shielded Ichigo from one of Ulquiorra's attacks.

"I dunno, maybe her food is starting to get to her or… something." Ichigo said, thinking it was a good way to change the subject.

"You know, I'm surprised she hasn't given herself food poisoning yet," Uryu said from his little corner in the classroom. "She once put tuna with cream and pickles on crackers." All their stomachs churned at the mental sight of it.

They all talked about their different encounters with Orihime's cooking when the walked out of the classroom and through the corridors and to the exit. Half way there, Ichigo said he forgot something and ran back to class. He strode over to Orihime's desk and picked up her crumpled piece of paper and gingerly unfolded it.

The dark, rough blue lines that formed the blank eyes and the tear marks were traced over so many times that another round would have torn the paper. Ichigo knew exactly who those eyes belonged to but he didn't understand why she still thought of him. Did they really mess her mind so much, did they even mess with her mind in the first place?

The substitute shinigami crushed the paper in his hand and threw it in the bin on his way out the classroom.

Orihime took her time going home, looking through the windows of various shops as she went along. She went in the corner grocery store and stopped in front of the aisle of freshly baked bread, not able to decide what she should purchase.

"Lets see…" she said out loud to herself. "Oh, how about some Portuguese rolls and some, tuna, spinach, just for some flavour, some lemon zests." She grabbed a packet of flour sprinkled rolls and skipped off to find the rest of her ingredients. At the till, she waited almost impatiently for the clerk to finish dialing up her foods. She paid him hurriedly and left the store with the plastic bag firm in hand. She hurried to her apartment, but once at the door, she had to dig around in her school sweater's pocket for the keys.

Closing the door behind her, she slid her small feet out of her shoes and walked to the kitchen. She laid the packet down on the brown countertop. She hummed to herself while she opened the fringe and grabbed a can of cool-drink and poured it into a glass.

On her way up the stairs she sipped the cool, refreshing liquid. She burst though the door of her room. "Hello, everyone!" She announced her arrival to the three stuffed animals that occupied her bed. There was a grey hippo was called Mr Snuggums, Orihime had won him during a festival, then there was Snowball, a bunny rabbit that was given to her by Tatsuki for her eighth birthday and last but not least there was Button, a big, brown teddy bear with big, blue eyes that Ichigo gave her when she had her tonsils removed. Putting down the glass on her bedside table she cheerfully trotted over to her closet and swung the doors wide open.

Orihime eyed the suitcase that was on the top shelf, the shelf that happened to be out of her reach. She placed a hand against the frame work –for some support– and jumped up as high as she could manage. Her fingers didn't even come near the handle when she got to the highest point of her jump. She landed back on her feet, huffed out a hot breath, her impatience wearing thin even after her first attempt. She tried a second time, alas she failed. Getting highly annoyed now, she placed a foot on the bottom shelf. She placed all her weight on that one foot, to test if the wooden sheet hold and not shatter into fragments under her. It was still in one piece after a moment, so Orihime put her other foot on the shelf above and gingerly climbed up. When her fingers finally curled around the handle of the bag she yanked it out, sending both her and the bag crashing to the carpeted floor. She moaned and rubbed her lower back, hoping that there wouldn't be a bruise in the morning. She bounced off the floor like nothing happened and put the large travel bag on her purple bed. She raided her through her wardrobe, tossing garments out and soon her floor was littered with discarded clothing. She made sure to pack extra of everything, from her undies to her khaki shorts. She set aside a lose, purple, spaghetti-strap top that's frilly hem that went past her hips, she also added a pair of white beach shorts to wear, and completed it with white wedge sandals. Orihime placed all those items on top of her bag. By late afternoon she was done folding the clothes she had tossed out of her cupboard and had put them back in place neatly.

Orihime stepped into her bathroom with a vanity case in hand and put it down on the counter. The bathroom wasn't big, it had a bath that doubled as a shower with a yellow curtain, and there was a toilet and sink on a white granite counter. She opened the warm water tap of the bath and put the plug in. As the hot water streamed into the bath she removed her school uniform and threw it in the laundry basket beside the door. She took a fluffy brown towel from the railing and wrapped it around herself. She opened the mirror cabinet that was above the sink and took a pink hair band and tied her long auburn hair in a loose, low bun. When the water was the right temperature for her to get in, she unwrapped the towel from her body and put it back on the railing. Cautiously, she dipped her toe in first and a small smile splayed across her face as she got in.

Thick, white steam hung around in the bathroom, dampening everything. Long stray auburn strands plated to the side of her face as she relaxed into the bath. Her half lidded eyes looked straight up to the ceiling. Her mind wondered, sliding in and out of memories, in the end all of them faded into a pair of emerald eyes staring down at her. She tried to keep her mind busy, but she just ended up seeing them again.

She got out of the bath, putting the brown towel over her wet body and slowly dried herself. She put on a night gown that was hanging behind the door and went back to her room. She pulled on a short, white cotton nightdress and took the hair band out of her hair. With her hair brush in hand, she sat on her bed and combed out all the knots she had accumulated in such a short amount of time. Standing up, Orihime had to bend down to the floor to get her tent and sleeping bag out from under her bed and then put them next to her bag.

She made herself some food, using the tuna, bread rolls, and spinach, cream and lemon zests. She thought it had a good sweet and savory flavour to it. She washed all the dishes afterwards, and when that was done she made her way up stairs when the phone in the kitchen rang. She picked up the ringing phone handle and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Oh… Hey Orihime!" Ichigo was on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Kurosaki-kun," she chimed happily into the phone, "What are you doing, calling at this time?"

"I was just worried about you; you seemed sortta out of it today."

Orihime held her breath. Was she that obvious? "I was? … Oh, I was, wasn't I? I guess um, I was just really tired, it was the last day of school and our maths examination after all." She heard his breathing over the phone while she waited for him to say something.

"You're still gonna come with all of us tomorrow, or have you forgotten?"

"N-no, I haven't forgotten, I just finished packing an hour ago, so you can count on me being there."

"Good 'cause you could use the break. Well, see ya tomorrow, Orihime."

"Good-night!" She waited for him to put the phone down first before she did. She was very excited about going with everyone to camping trip tomorrow.

Uryu's dad was paying for the camping space and food, while Ichigo's dad was responsible for the transportation and supervision of the gang of teenagers. It was a nice quiet place that was at the foot of a mountain, but within short walking distance of the beach, plus there was a small town nearby, so there would be more than enough activities for them to do while they would be there for three days. It was going to be a good three days, no freak events, no Hollows and no Shinigami, well, sort of.

Orihime went back upstairs and crawled into bed, wanting to sleep as soon as possible to that she could get to Ichigo's house quicker the next morning.

She woke up the next morning and jumped out of bed, already filled with hyper energy. She brushed her teeth and smiled at herself in the mirror. She dressed in her purple top, her white beach shorts and white wedges. She ran the brush through her hair and put it in the vanity case, zipping it closed, taking it in hand she slung her bag over her shoulder and her tent and sleeping bag over the other shoulder and went downstairs. She placed her bags at the door and quickly ate breakfast which consisted of cereal, with milk, banana slices, and drenched in syrup.

She took her small sling bag that was just big enough for her purse and phone and carried it on her shoulder. She did a quick check of the apartment to see it everything was in place and set off with her bags in hand to Ichigo's.

By the time she got there, almost everyone was already, with their things loaded into Mr Kurosaki's old Volkswagen kombi. Orihime put her bags down next to the white vehicle and skipped over to Tatsuki, who as usual was leaning against the wall, waiting for something to happen. Her face immediately brightened upon seeing Orihime and gave her a deadly bear hug. Orihime gently returned the hug and smiled widely. She then noticed that they were the only ones there.

"Um-"

"Their inside, Yuzu is doing a quick cleanup of the house, and Karin might be in the backyard, Mr Kurosaki is putting up the 'closed' in the clinic and I guess Ichigo and Rukia are trying to kill each other somewhere right now." Tatsuki filled her in and put her back up against the wall again. She was casually dressed in a grey hoodie, black shorts, and white sneakers and as usual, she was wearing brightly coloured sweat bands on her wrist.

Yuzu and Karin were the first to join them. Yuzu greeted Orihime warmly and gave her a hug while Karin just said hello and gave her a curt nod. A girlish shriek came from the Kurosaki house and everyone looked in that general direction of the door with wide eyes. Ichigo was walking down the pathway to the gate with Rukia over his shoulder. He was wearing beige khaki shorts, a baby blue unbuttoned short sleeved shirt, and underneath that a white cotton t-shirt, and black sandals on his feet. Rukia was wearing a yellow sundress with white flowers printed on it and white strap sandals.

The petite Shinigami was wriggling around like a fish out of water on his shoulder. She started beating her fists onto his back and kicking her feet frantically into the air. Her actions were so violent that he had to wrap his arm around her waist to keep her from falling off.

"Geez, would you stop squirming already, your only making yourself heavier, plus your practically flashing to the entire world right now" Ichigo said calmly, but turned his face the other way so that he wouldn't have to look at her white underwear.

"What are you talking about you big buffoon?" She stopped wriggling, but continued to beat at his back.

"I'm talking about your underwear being completely visible to the entire world right now." Rukia blushed and beat her fists harder onto his back "Put me down, put me down!"

"Okay." Ichigo unceremoniously slid her off his shoulder and dumped her onto the grass. "Why did you do that!" Rukia yelled at him. Ichigo gave her a toothy grin. "Well, you told me to put you down, so I did." Rukia crouched onto her knees and then in a split second, Ichigo was on the ground with Rukia sitting on top of him.

"What the hell? Why'd you go and do that?" He yelled back at, but she stuck out her small pink tongue at him. He stretched out his arms, trying to strangle her, but she locked her smaller hands with his. As they two were busy wrestling with each other, Uryu, Keigo, and Chad had arrived and were now watching the two Shinigami fight each other on the ground.

"Is someone going to tell them to stop or should be the one to ruin their fun?" The Quincy asked and when no one gave him an answer, he took it as a 'yes please do' and cleared his throat. "Oi," the two stopped fighting, but they had changed positions, with Ichigo on top of Rukia. Both of them blushed with an intense pink on their cheeks and got off the ground.

"I should start recording this stuff and make like a show or something," Keigo said, scratching the back of his head. "And I'll put it on Youtube and make millions!"

"Youtube's for free, you idiot," Ichigo snapped at him, hating the idea of millions of people watching him fight a girl and getting beaten most of the time. Keigo threw himself to the pavement in despair upon hearing his master plan was reduced to nothing.

Mr Kurosaki came along trotting down the pathway, wearing a hideously green colored Hawaiian shirt. "Right, lets get all this loaded and then we came set off, so, Ichigo, put your back into it, we want to get there before sundown!" He shouted at his son who immediately started arguing with him. "Why do I have to put all that in?" he pointed to the mountain of bags that had formed next to the kombi. "Because I said so and if you don't, you'll have to find someone else to drive you around from now on!" Mr Kurosaki shouted dramatically and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're a real pain, you know that?" It was more of a statement than a question. Ichigo began stuffing the bags into the back and slammed the boot shut.

Yuzu and Karin said their good-byes to everyone and went back into the house.

Chad sat in the back, and with Chad being large, Tatsuki had squeeze in to her seat next to him, with Keigo on her left. Orihime sat next to the window, directly behind the driver's seat on the right, while Rukia jumped in next to her, with Ichigo sitting at the door. It was only natural that Uryu sat in front; he was the best out of all of them when it came to reading a map. Mr Kurosaki did a quick head count to check if everyone was there and then started the engine.

"And off we go!"

Ichigo wondered how he ended up with a father like him. "Why do you always have to be so dramatic, Dad?"

He looked back at his son with a smile on his face. "Because, it's a new adventure, Ichigo, so lighten up!" Ichigo couldn't believe his own father had just said that, talk about a total fail.

As they exited the town it was the news on the radio and no one, save Uryu had any interest in listening to that. "I know," Mr Kurosaki shouted, looking at everyone through the rear view mirror. "Let's sing a song!" He sucked in some air before he started.

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round.

The wheels on the bus go round and round all day long-"

"Stop! Do you want to torture us?" Ichigo was the first to crack upon hearing the childish song. "We aren't toddlers ya know." He dung around in his pocket for his MP 4 player and passed it to Uryu.

Soon Vanilla Sky's version of 'Umbrella' was playing and everyone seemed happy about it, even Mr Kurosaki, who was tapping his hands on the wheel in tune with the song.

They reached the campsite a little after lunch time. Rukia shoved Ichigo out of the kombi before he could even get the door fully open and landed flat on his face on the tar. The petite Shinigami jumped over him and landed lightly on her feet.

"Show off," he muttered and got off of the ground.

Everyone else got out in a rather orderly fashion, while Ichigo had to unload the kombi. Mr Kurosaki skipped over to the reception and got confirmation to allow them set up their camping gear. With all their bags in hand they set off into the camping grounds that were a little further up the mountain.

Once they got there everyone was starving. A black butterfly fluttered by unseen and rested on the leaf of a small shrub nearby. A gate formatted and once the door opened, a loud voice erupted.

Renji stormed through, dropping his bags in the process and tackled Ichigo head-on. "How's it going, Strawberry?" He ruffled the substitute Shinigami's head roughly before releasing him. Ichigo was surprised to see he was dressed right. Red baggy shorts, black sandals, and an unbuttoned orange shirt that openly displayed his tattooed chest and abdomen; he didn't look too bad.

Rangiku came through next –also tossing her bags aside– and ran straight at Orihime, giving her a hug, but her overly large breasts were suffocating the poor girl. She was also so dressed appropriately with a pink tank-top that did nothing to cover up her cleavage one bit and a beige miniskirt that hiked up high on her thighs.

"Matsumoto, release the girl, unless you want to suffocate her with your obese assets." A cool, calm voice spoke from the gate. Hitsugaya Toshiro [A/N: there may be some spelling variations out there regarding his first name but I'm gonna stick with this one.] stood before the closing gate, coldly glaring at everyone. His blue eyes stood in bright contrast with his snow white hair, making him stick out like a sore thumb. To make the matter worse he was dressed in dark skinny jeans, with white sneakers and a black long-sleeved top.

Rangiku let go of Orihime, asking if she did hurt her, of course the auburn haired teenager lied and said she was unharmed.

"Hey, Toshiro," Ichigo called out. "I was wondering if you'd come along, you being such a stick-in-the-mud and all."

Toshiro flashed an angry gaze at the substitute Shinigami. "That's Captain Hitsugaya. Soul Society wouldn't just let two lieutenants run off into the World of the Living for three days without the overseeing of a captain, so in truth I have no choice but to be here."

Ichigo laughed and shoved Renji off. "See, such a stick-in-the-mud!"

After everyone had all the latest gossip, they grabbed their towels and headed down to the beach. Naturally the girls had their bikinis on underneath their clothes so that didn't need to lag the boys so that could change.

Rukia had a white and blue stripped bikini with a matching bottom, and wrapped a fairly transparent black sarong around her waist. Orihime wore a baby pink bikini with a little heart shaped silver charm hanging from her cleavage, but she left her beach shorts on. Rangiku wore a white boob tube bikini that barely held her breasts in place and a boy-cut bottom, elongating her legs. Tatsuki surprisingly also had a bikini on, but her top was cut like a tank top and her shorts were also a boy-cut, both gun-metal grey in colour.

"Captain, you're not gonna go to the beach dressed like that are you?" Rangiku asked Toshiro, hugging him closely to her.

"What is wrong with the way I'm dressed, Matsumoto?"

Ichigo plied Rangiku off of Toshiro before she would have smothered her own captain. Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "Well, for one we're going to the beach, and two, its summer, people dress in shorts and you know, not in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt." His efforts seemed to be in vein when Toshiro just stared at him. "Yo, Renji, Ishida! Come help me over here!" The red-haired Shinigami and the Quincy knew what Ichigo wanted to do, and so each of them grabbed Toshiro's arms and dragged him away while Ichigo raided his bags and took out a white t-shirt and blue swimming trunks.

They returned with triumphant grins on their faces.

"Hey, what did you guys do with Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia asked, but all three boys just shrugged their shoulders in response.

Not too long after, the white-haired Shinigami captain came along kicking the dirt in frustration. Ichigo, Uryu, and Renji and forced him into the t-shirt, and swimming trunks and stole his other clothes, and he was angry to say the least. If he wasn't in his pathetic Gigai, he would've froze them into new lawn ornaments the moment they laid a finger on him.

Rangiku stood with her mouth open. He looked like a totally different person. "How'd you guys do it?" No one bothered to answer her question. "Don't you just feel better?"

"No." He didn't feel better. He just wanted to get this beach fiasco over with.

"Hey, can we get a move on?" Tatsuki shouted all the way from the other side of camp. "We're killing some serious daylight here!"

They all hurried down and walked to the beach. Even a few yards away they could smell the salty sea water. They looked down onto the white sand and crystal blue water; it was paradise. Orihime and Tatsuki ran down and jumped down onto the soft, warm sand. The others soon joined them, forming a big puppy pile on top of the two girls. The beach wasn't too busy, but there were a lot of teenagers and young adults on the beach, enjoying their school break.

Ichigo and the other boys, save Uryu and Toshiro, broke into a straight sprint for the water, splashing through the waves. Tatsuki and Rukia soon joined them, splashing water at each other. Orihime and Rangiku laid their towels onto the sand and sat down watching the others play in the water.

"Put some sun lotion on first before you tan, Rangiku," Orihime put her tote bag next to her and took out a blue bottle of sun lotion. She squeezed some of it onto Rangiku's hands before she took some herself. She rubbed it in on her arms, leg, stomach and finally her face. She looked over to Rangiku who had finished before and was now lying on her stomach, enjoying the sun.

Uryu was sitting a little away from them, reading a book he had brought along. Toshiro was sitting by himself on a bolder by the sea and he seemed to be enjoying the cold water that misted onto his face when the waves crashed against the bolder.

Orihime lay down on her stomach and enjoyed the warm sun. She used her arms as a pillow and rested her head on them. She lay there for minutes on end before she finally opened her eyes again. Her grey eyes settled on the white sand that stretched out before her.

"…Looks just like their sand in a way." She whispered to herself. Orihime sighed and rolled over onto her back. She shielded her eyes from the sharp rays of the sun, remembering the cold, dark nights lit by the reversed silver crescent moon. It was such a lifeless place. It was all that bad though, she told herself. At least she had some company, well once every hour for about five minutes, though there were times during her time at Las Noches that she didn't want to see or speak to anyone. All the sunlight made her feel uncomfortable; she needed to cool off.

Orihime got up and unbuttoned her beach shorts, revealing her baby pink bikini bottom. She tossed the shorts down onto her towel and ran off to the water. The water was cold as first but once she was waist deep it was rather refreshing. She swam a bit further away from the others and floated on her back. She watched the white clouds sail across the sky and the seagulls glide through the air above her.

"Hey, Orihime!" Rangiku called out from the beach. "Come on back! We're all gonna go get lunch!"

Food was all the motivation Orihime needed to get out of the water and rush to dry herself. She was starving. She dabbed the towel on her wet skin and put her shorts back on. Rolling up the towel she stuffed it into her tote bag and skipped off to Rangiku who was waiting patiently for Orihime and the others to get to the road that led to the small town nearby.

They went to a place called the 'Octopus on Rocks'. It was a small place, and it had a little balcony that was overlooking the sea so the group got two tables together and sat there.

A waiter gave them their menus and then left to attend to the other customers inside.

"No way!" Ichigo shouted. "Th-these prices are-"

"Ridiculously cheap," Uryu completed the sentence for him. "But that doesn't mean you can go completely over board, I'll be the one to get a scolding if you use up all the money." Uryu's father even offered to pay for all their food, and so he gave his son his bank card.

"Ooooh, this lozenge sounds delicious!" Rangiku said from behind her menu.

"Um, Rangiku, do you even know what lozenge is?" Orihime asked, hoping that the strawberry-blonde Shinigami wasn't allergic to anything.

"No, I have absolutely idea, but I'm gonna eat it anyway… I think I'll also have some dumplings too, and then an extra-large bowl of rice!" She seemed genuinely happy.

"So much for not going over board, Uryu!" Renji laughed, finding Rangiku's large appetite both weird and amusing. The comment earned him a rough pull by his hair that pulled him completely off of his chair.

They ordered their food and ate with loud conversation and laughter. Uryu paid and left with everyone hot on his trail.

"Hey, where are we going, you know that camp is the other way, right?" Renji asked, afraid the Quincy had some other plan in store for them.

"Well, unless you brought food with, I suggest we go to the supermarket." He stated frankly. Renji pulled a face behind the Quincy's back. "How about you all stay outside while, Ichigo, Keigo and I get some food for tonight and breakfast. Is that okay with you?"

Everyone nodded and not ten minutes later the three shoppers were back and on the way back to camp. Uryu set the food down by his bags, getting Chad to help him with the tent. It was a big tent, big enough to get three people and their luggage inside. Uryu, Chad and Keigo were sharing a tent, while Ichigo had to share a tent with Renji and Toshiro. Uryu and Chad were finished with their tent before Ichigo even began with theirs.

"Hey, that's not fair! You got Chad, who actually knows how to set this stuff up, while I'm stuck with them!" Ichigo ranted and raved. "And their just sitting there, I gotta do this all by myself…"

"Okay, we're done!" Orihime called out in triumph.

"This isn't fair, even the girls are done before me." Ichigo pouted. "Well, have you ever considered asking fore help?" The Quincy asked. "Well, I… uh… no." He admitted. Uryu backed away from the fire he was building over by the brick kennel and helped Ichigo set up his tent.

Orihime stood by the bundle of firewood, wondering what they were going to eat. Maybe she could make something for them sometime during their stay. The sun was beginning to sink down into the bowls of the mountain.

Uryu continued with his little fire until it looked like a bonfire. "Okay, you got a choice between chicken, or beef everybody."

"Chicken or beef what? Legs, fillets, patties-" Orihime was just starting with her list when Uryu stopped her. "Kebabs, Hawaiian style."

Renji popped up behind Uryu, eyeing the food. "It sounds like some other plant to me."

The Quincy forgot that the Shinigami knew almost nothing about the food that was in the World of the Living. "It chunks of meat put on a stick with either some vegetables or fruit put in-between the meat. In this case it's some pineapple. You grill it over an open fire." He took one from the packet, and put it in front of the red-haired Shinigami's face.

Ichigo was in charge of getting everyone a paper plate and a serviette. He just tossed both items at them, almost hitting them square in the face.

With the moon up and the stars shinning, they all sat by the fire kennel, watching Uryu cook the kebabs and talk. After they ate and disposed of their paper plates, they sat by the fire again, this time talking about thing that had happened the past year.

"I'm just glad that all those Arrancar are gone. Geez were they a hand full." Ichigo commented thinking about all the Arrancar he had fought.

"Yeah, all they did was cause trouble for everyone," Renji said. "All they did was fight, fight, fight, like they never had anything else to do."

Orihime had curled herself up in her camping chair. "Well, they didn't know anything else… So I guess that was all they knew how to do."

"You're actually defending them?" Rukia shouted out. "Even after they made you look like a traitor, and held you captive?" All the Shinigami in the group didn't take her comment lightly; even Ichigo seemed upset about it.

"Well, think about it: Shinigami, Quincy, Human, Vizard, we are all born free to make our own decisions. We were taught to think for ourselves, the Arrancar, they weren't given that opportunity. They were brought into existence by Aizen, who just had them fight, and do what he wanted them to do." Orihime paused to look around; they were all listening to her intently. "From what I saw in Hueco Mundo, they didn't know what friendship was, all they knew about was pain. Their very lives are filled with it, and Aizen promised to make it stop, but he didn't, he used it as a type leverage to make them bend to his will; they didn't know that what they were doing was wrong. They did it because he could take the pain away if they did as he pleased."

Orihime let out a weary breath after her long speech.

Ichigo looked at her grimly. "Inoue, tell me, did they do anything to you, you know mess with you?"

"What are you talking about? They never touched me; no one besides Ulquiorra ever came near me." Orihime did remember Grimmjow talking to her once or twice but it wasn't worth mentioning. An aching silence followed.

Rangiku was the first one to speak. "Were they really like that, really in some much pain?"

Orihime was surprised at the amount of pity and concern in Rangiku's voice. "Yeah, though none of them every admitted to it, because that meant you were weak and if you were weak you got killed. There was one time though, I think his name was Wonderweiss, he asked why Aizen didn't stop the pain when he promised he would…"

"I thought they just killed everyone for sport, but what you just said, I think it makes some sort of sense." Renji also admitted to feeling sorry for the Arrancar.

Everyone else was deep in thought, after a long session of saying good night to everyone; they went off to bed, one by one. Orihime was the only one left sitting by the dying fire.

She couldn't help but think over her time at Hueco Mundo, her time with the Espada there, especially him. Sure he was cold, to the point, didn't understand emotion or their point of existence, but he looked after her. She kept on thinking over one thing Ulquiorra said before he disappeared. _"Just as I was getting interested in you people." _ What did he mean by that?

When she found that thinking was becoming too much, she slouched her way to her tent, taking care not to step on any of the girls on her way in. She unzipped her sleeping bag and tucked herself in under its thick cover.

"Uhhn… Night Ulquiorra…"

**Gotta stop there. What do you guys think: Hate it, love it, it needs work? Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it, especially you, Mitchie! More will be coming but I fear it will take a while, I just started my senior year of school, soooooo it's study, sleep, eat, school, study, ect for about another three weeks. Review if you want, I won't hold it against you if you don't wanna. **

**Until next time… ^^ **


	2. 01  Within Obscurity

**Haraaaaayyyyy! I'm back with the first chapter of 'Sublimation'! Sorry, I'm not gonna wait for reviews, but truth be told I'm just bored… and so much for my schedule, ne? This chapter was originally filled with some moments but… the file got corrupted and then more than the first half of the chapter was wiped clean. It just went … Poof…**

**On with what really matters - the story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach … Tite Kubo does. **

**Well, enjoy chapter 01: **

**Within Obscurity**

It was dark. Inky tendrils of black ether drifted, inconsistent, incomplete. A lone wonderer strode through. He walked on ahead, not paying attention to the shifting darkness about him. Then he heard it – a soft, chime. The sound drew him from his path and onto one he had not known. As his feet moved along and as the chime died the darkness left, taking with it the black and silence he had come to know so well.

XxxxX

Uryu and Toshiro were the first to wake up; Ichigo and Renji were the last. The orange-haired substitute shinigami crawled out of his tent, groaning to himself. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and his red swimming trunks. He drew his eyes across the camp. Ichigo eyed Uryu at the fire, while Tatsuki was doing a jog around the camp to keep herself entertained. Toshiro was lying on the grass, away from the tents and Rukia was busy eating some cereal over at the fire. He looked over to the direction of the girls' tent and saw Orihime dressed in soft yellow t-shirt and khaki short with white pumps. She was sitting there cross-legged in front of the tent flap.

"Inoue, what are you doing?" He asked with a heavy voice.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Morning, Kurosaki-kun!" She said cheerfully. "I'm just sitting, on guard for Rangiku."

Ichigo didn't want to know what the strawberry blonde-haired shinigami was doing in there. He heard someone mumble from behind him and glanced over his shoulder. Renji stumbled out of their tent. He wore the same shorts he did yesterday, but changed his orange shirt with a soft green coloured one. "Why's she in there so long?" he asked, yawning openly.

Ichigo groaned. "Dunno, don't care."

Tatsuki had stopped her morning jog and stood in front of him. "What's the matter, Ichigo? Scared you're going to lose today?" That comment made him snap straight out of his daze. "Of course not! … I'm just not a morning person." He brushed past her and went straight to Uryu who had a nice, big flask of warm coffee, just what he needed.

Renji followed, also grabbing a cup of coffee. "NO, seriously what is Ran doing in there?"

"She is probably struggling with her assets." Toshiro commented coolly from the other side of camp. He was lying on his back, looking at the clouds sailing through the crystal blue sky. He wore a black shirt that was buttoned half way, showing the blue t-shirt he had on underneath and the same pair of blue swimming trunks he wore yesterday.

The strawberry-blonde haired Shinigami burst from the tent with a pout on her face. "That's not a very nice thing to say, Captain." Rangiku hopped her way to him and pulled him off of the grass, hugging him to her bosom. "Matsumoto, release me," he ordered and she obliged.

"Now that everyone is up and running, shall we go to the beach?" Tatsuki asked. She was eager to get there; she wanted to see what sort of competition they were up against.

When they got to the beach, they couldn't believe how many people there were. There was hardly any space to move. The gang pushed their way to a make-shift stage on the beach.

A dark-skinned man with black dreadlocks stumbled his way onto the stage, grabbing a microphone from an assistant. "Yo-yo, to all ya people here today!" He gave a cocky smile and nearly tripped over his own feet when his eyes landed on Rangiku. "Y'all know what today is, dontcha? That's right folks the 'Annual Summer Volleyball Tournament'!" The crowd cheered. The prize wasn't too bad either: 20000 Yen to be shared among teammates and for the runner-ups: a free dinner over at the 'Octopus on Rocks' for up to twenty people. All unregistered teams, please get your asses to registration and sign up! Closing time for registration is in eight minutes so either attempt trampling each other to death to register or get."

Ichigo and the gang quickly huddled together. "Okay, who's in which team?"

Tatsuki was getting impatient. "There can be five people in a team so I'm taking Orihime, Rukia, Rangiku and I need someone to fill in the last spot."

"Che, I'm taking Ishida, Renji, Chad and Keigo, so that leaves you with Toshiro." Ichigo grinned at the girls. He had more experienced players on his team. "Sorry girls you know how it goes: You snooze, you loose!"

Ichigo and Tatsuki took it upon themselves to be the team captains. Both of them pushed and shoved to get to registration. Both of them stomped their way back: they were now rivals, until the tournament was over anyway.

Orihime bounced up and down. "What's our team name?" The hyper teen was attracting too much male attention by her actions.

"Well, it's probably some lame-ass name; you're all just girls anyway." Ichigo stood next to his teammates. "But let me introduce you to the 'Kings'."

Toshiro raised his eyebrow at the substitute shinigami. Humans were very competitive and strange to him. "Excuse me, Kurosaki, but last I knew I was a male," Toshiro stated frankly.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you were with them…"

Tatsuki hooked an arm around Orihime's neck. "Well, we're the 'Vipers', beat that!"

The DJ asked all teams to gather by the stage. "Right, here are the rules: No biting, scratching or chucking of sand… Don't know how you guys are gonna attack each other when there's a net separating ya, but those are the rules. All ya team captains were given a number and I'm gonna be telling ya whose gonna take on who." He shouted out the numbers.

Tatsuki and dragged her team to a net that was close to the water. Their opposition was already there waiting. It was a team of five anorexic looking teens with rugged hair.

A referee came with the ball and a whistle. Rangiku looked confused and pulled all of them aside. "Um, how are we supposed to play this?"

Orihime realized they didn't explain the rule to the Shinigami get. "It's simple: if the ball comes to you, you can only hit it with you hands but you're not allowed to hold the ball. You can pass it to another teammate or hit it over the net. Don't let the ball drop on the sand or get outside the boundary. Every time that happens, the other team will get a point and after a set time, the team with the most points wins."

The ref called everyone to take their positions. Orihime and Tatsuki were right against the net, with Rukia and Rangiku next to each other a bit behind them and Toshiro right at the back in the middle.

"Right, I want a clean game with no bitch calling, understand?" The ref asked and the team captains nodded. Tatsuki got the first serve. She put all her power into that serve, it was a plain serve but powerful. The scrawny teenage boy that tried to hit it back got knocked off his feet and the ball bounced on the sand.

The ref blew his whistle and granted Tatsuki the point. Tatsuki served again, but this time they hit the ball back over the net, sending it catapulting towards Toshiro. He eyed the speeding ball, interlocking his hands, passing the ball to Orihime. The auburn-haired teenager scored, putting a large smile on her face.

After ten minutes the score was 3-8, and Tatsuki's team had won. As far as they could tell, Ichigo and his team were still in the competition as well. Everyone was given a three minute interval before advancing no to the next match.

Tatsuki's team the 'Vipers' sailed smoothly through all their competition. The Shinigami seemed to have been enjoying the sport, even Toshiro's mood lightened up somewhat.

As they got to the finale, they were face to face with Ichigo and his 'Kings'. The match was extended due a draw. The Kings had strength but the Vipers had speed. Even the DJ was rooting more instead of giving meaningful commentary. After another ten minutes of stalemate, Toshiro scored the winning point.

Orihime and Rangiku jumped up and down upon hearing their victory and the action got them many cat calls from the men in the crowd. The DJ called them to get up on the stage. He shook Tatsuki's hand and handed her the small golden trophy cup. He shook everyone's hands, but took his time with Rangiku. Captain Hitsugaya noticed this and cleared his throat to get the human's attention.

"Ya played well out there, little man," The DJ said, reaching out to shake his hand. Toshiro had no intention of touching the man, but the desperate looks coming from the girls made him try to act normally and took the dark-skinned man's hand and shook it briefly before letting go.

Once they got off the stage, the admin lady gave them their money in a brown envelope. Tatsuki hid it in her hoodie and strolled over to the guys who were waiting for them by the steps.

Orihime grabbed her tote bag and skipped along with everyone else. Her bag started vibrating. She took out her cell phone and flapped it open. It displayed that the number calling was unknown. She held the device to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Inoue-san, I doubted whether or not I would be able to speak to you." The voice said happily on the other end.

"U-Urahara-san, how did you get my number?" She asked nervously, but quieted down so that the others wouldn't hear her.

"I'm not with out my sources, besides, all I had to do was tell a small, microscopic white lie to your landlord. It was a good lie, if I do say so myself." He chuckled to himself on the other end.

"Well, um, was there a reason you wanted to contact me?"

"Oh yes, the reason," he laughed at how side tracked he got. "Well, all I can say is that what you tried a while back worked and you need to get back here as soon as possible – wait no try to come immediately." He hung up.

Orihime was confused to no end. _Something I tried? What can he be talking about; I haven't done anything this past year and a half, besides make new food combinations… But… he did sound serious._ Orihime debated with herself if she should cut her time with her friends short and go back to Karakura Town or just stay and enjoy herself. She decided she was going to go and see what was what, but there laid the problem: how was she going to get there and what will she tell everyone else?

"Everything alright, Inoue-san?" Uryu asked.

Orihime got startled by the Quincy. "Ah… Uryu, please don't sneak up on me like that…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said apologetically. "Who called you, you seem a bit stressed."

Orihime had decided. She was going to do something she thought she was not capable of: lying to her friends. "Oh… My landlord called and he thinks that someone broke in and they need me to come in and make a list of stolen items…" She was dearly hoping he would take the bait.

"Someone broke into your apartment?" The Quincy did admit to himself that it was odd, considering that the landlord only informed her of it now. "Would you like me to arrange a taxi for you?" He didn't want pry now. She seemed partly eager to get back to Karakura Town.

"That'll be great, Ishida-kun!" She lightly hugged him and then skipped off to catch up with the others.

Once they were back at camp, Orihime packed all her things, save her tent and placed her bags neatly to one side.

"Awwww, do you really have to go?" Rangiku moaned. "Can't you just ask someone to handle it for you?"

Orihime hated this. "Sorry, Rangiku, there's no one I can trust and besides how will they know what's stolen, if I'm not there?" She hated lying. Everyone seemed to believe her. She knew Uryu would have some suspicions but she will have to let him be.

Ichigo, Renji and Chad carried all her bags to the taxi. They said their good-byes, and this made the auburn-haired teenager sad; she wanted to spend more time with them before they went back to Soul Society.

"Call when you get there, Inoue," Ichigo said. He was worried about her, but he knew she could handle things herself.

Uryu opened the door for her, looking at her with serious eyes. Before he closed her door, he spoke softly so that the others wouldn't hear him. "I'll call you tonight, and then you'll tell me what's up, okay?" Orihime, left her heart sink. He knew. She gave him a slight nod before he closed the door.

XxxxX

Orihime propped her hand against her cheek as she looked out of the window. _Not much longer until I figure out what is going on_, she told herself. As they got to town, she told the taxi driver to go to Urahara's shop instead. She paid the driver and unloaded her bags in front of his shop. She looked at the 'closed' sign hanging on the door. She gingerly pushed at the door and to her surprise it was open.

"Uh, hello, is anyone here?" Orihime called out but no one seemed to be there. She dragged her bags inside and left the near the door. Footsteps came from the corridor and the door to the basement swung open to reveal Yoruichi.

She was wearing her purple and black corset with matching underwear again. "Ah, Orihime, we didn't think you'd come so soon."

Orihime pressed her fingers together idly. "Well, Urahara-san did sound very urgent over the phone earlier so I got here as soon as I could."

Yoruichi smiled. "Well, that's good; I don't know what we would have done in a few hours if you didn't come." She guided the auburn-haired teenager to the back room were Urahara usually had diner and received guests.

"Um, Yoruichi, you wouldn't happen to know why I'm here do you?"

Yoruichi stopped dead in her tracks. "You mean… …. he didn't tell you?" She seemed angry. She took a calming breath before she continued walking. "Why don't you just see for yourself?" She slid open the door and gestured for Orihime to go in.

Orihime was nervous; her heart was swelling in her chest. She didn't know what to expect once she went in there. She tried to calm herself, and then she heard it; the soft, yet unmistakable chime of a lifeline.

She peeped around the door and tried to look inside but Yoruichi half pushed her in and went in after her. Urahara was sitting there in front of someone. Urahara glanced over his shoulder them gave her a wide grin and moved aside so that she could see.

Orihime couldn't believe it. Right there, lying there with a drip in his arm, unconscious. He looked so different. But it was him… he came back, just like a said he would. Orihime left her throat sting and her eyes well up hot tears. She knelt down next to Urahara.

"You came back; just you said you would, didn't you… Ulquiorra?" She couldn't hold her tears back. They fell freely down her cheeks. She laughed at how easily she was crying right now and tried to brush her tears away. She looked at his sleeping form. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed, his black hair fanned out across the pillow and the steady rise and fall of his chest from under the sheets. While she was observing him, she noticed his oxygen mask and how bandaged up he was. Nearly his entire chest was bound, as well as his left arm that was above the sheets. "How… how did he come back?"

Urahara looked at Orihime with surprise. "Then this was not your doing?" He pulled his white and green stripped hat lower down onto his head. "Interesting… Either that he regenerated himself or you somehow healed unintentionally. I made a gigai for him so that you can take him if you want."

Orihime sat up straight. "How would you be able to tell if I healed him or not?"

Urahara smiled. "Simple. You're power has a very specific signature, which I got off of him when I first found him. It's rather unmistakable that this is the work of your powers."

Orihime sat there watching her former captor sleep. "How long until he wakes up?"

Yoruichi was the one to answer her. "We don't know. He's been out for almost forty-eight hours. He might wake up in a few hours."

"That's almost two whole days. He's been here that long?"

Urahara stood up and went to Yoruichi's side. "Yes, but when I found him there was no way to identify him, his face was completely marred, but it seems that he's healing completely." He smiled at her. "Come, eat dinner with us tonight." He offered kindly.

They sat quietly in another room and ate. The table was covered with bowls of noodles, steamed fish and flasks of warm miso soup. Yoruichi was already on her third portion of fish, second bowl of noodles and first bowl of miso soup, while Orihime had a second portion of fish and Urahara only had a bowl of noodles and soup.

"Slow down, Yoruichi," Urahara said from behind his bowl. She paid him no mind and continued. "Can't - too - hungry-" she said in between mouthfuls of food.

Orihime laughed. She felt… happy? But she knew it would only be a fragment of what she would feel if he woke up. Orihime sat there a while, thinking to herself. Would he be happy to see her too? Would he happy that she brought him back? They didn't even know if she even was the one to bring him back.

After they cleaned up, Orihime had asked if they could sit by Ulquiorra until he woke up. They sat there, talking quietly amongst themselves about a variety of things, like how business was with Urahara's shop and how Orihime felt her report card was going to turn out. It was some time near six o'clock when Orihime had dozed off into a light sleep. Urahara and Yoruichi quietly left.

XxxxX

It was dark again. The dark was his home, a place that did not falter or that would leave. He walked about his usual route, waiting. The wonderer felt he had walked the way beneath his feet for an unending time. Soft, almost inaudible sounds drew his mind from what lay before him. His eyes drifted around to find the source but nothing aside from darkness was his company.

The sound drew out and over time it grew. Wind howled in his ears that swirled in whips about him. Dust picked up into the air and ran along with the wind, creating a grey cyclone.

Grey… It was a different shade to him, the first he had seen in a long time. The dust enclosed, grazing his skin, but stood his ground, with his hands at his side, he had no reason to fear. He watched the dust grind away his flesh, but he didn't respond for he saw no reason to.

The darkness… it seemed to be fading again, his home was desecrating before him. Yet, the wonderer held his ground. He was foolish to get attached to it, even if it was the only thing he had known to stay.

That sensation… he had felt it before. But like all things it passed. He felt cold, fatigued. His eyes fluttered open; his lids were heavy and wanted to shut over his eyes again. His vision was hazed, but he saw something he had not in a long time. His eyes looked up at something… it was coated with a brown colour… wood? Was someone playing in his consciousness? But… it felt too real for a mind trick. He turned his head in the soft pillow underneath his head. Everything was blurred; there was a silhouette he knew that seemed to be resting against a wall. The colour… it was familiar to him.

XxxxX

Orihime woke slowly from her sleep. She rubbed her hand lazily over her eyes. She immediately alerted herself. The soft beep of the lifeline was still there, and she relaxed again. Smiling to herself she looked at Ulquiorra.

She couldn't believe it. He was awake and looking her through half-lidded emerald eyes, but he was awake. Orihime nearly stumbled over her own feet as she rushed over to the Espada's side. She settled down right next to him and looked down with tears flooding her eyes.

Ulquiorra shifted his head slightly so that he could see her. "Onna…" He made it sound like more of a question than a statement. He raised his back off the mattress slowly. He became conscious of the needle in his arm, the bandages bound around him and the mask over his mouth.

Orihime slowly removed the oxygen mask for him and put it to one side. "You're awake." She felt her tears well in her eyes but fought to keep them from falling. "How are you feeling?"

Ulquiorra looked in her grey orbs. What was he feeling? He felt weak and pathetic, but he did not tell the onna this. He just looked at her. Orihime looked back at him, awaiting an answer. When she finally realized that she would receive none, she decided she would fetch Urahara to do some sort of check up on Ulquiorra.

"How did I get here, onna?" The Arrancar asked.

Orihime stopped at the door and looked back at him. "I don't know, but with any luck, Urahara-san will know how, now that you're awake." She told him with a smile. She closed the door behind her and left the espada to himself.

Ulquiorra sat there looking at his surroundings. A few minutes later the door slid open and Urahara stepped in.

"My, my sitting up already," he said happily walking over to the machines next to his patient. He closed the valves of the drip and switched off everything else. He sat down next to the Espada. Urahara took Ulquiorra's right arm in hand and slowly removed the drip. "Orihime, see if anyone else is awake and ask if they could make our guest here some dinner."

Orihime frowned. "I can make him something that is if you don't mind me using your kitchen." Urahara winced ever so slightly. "Th-there's no need for you to do that, you must be exhausted from the trip, so just wake anyone up."

"But they're all fast asleep and I would feel bad if I woke them up." Orihime looked at them with her grey doe eyes.

Urahara gave up. "Fine, but make something simple like a sandwich or something." He truly felt sorry for Ulquiorra. Orihime smiled and skipped off to the kitchen. Urahara turned his attention back to Ulquiorra. "Sorry, I did the best I could," he apologized.

Ulquiorra paid the exiled Shinigami no mind. "How did I get here?" He asked the same question he asked Orihime.

Urahara looked at him. "Well, we don't really know," he said truthfully. "I got a strange reiatsu reading the other day and when I got to the location I found you lying there. Your body was broken and bloodied, but in a matter of two days you regenerated almost perfectly. But I suspect that it was Orihime's healing that brought you back, but she only tried once a day or two after you disappeared and it didn't work.

"I think that it was such a process that her hair clips vanished as a result and now here you are almost two years later." Urahara leaned back a little.

The onna tried to bring him back after he left? Ulquiorra could not find a single reason why she would do that. He never showed her kindness; he even tried to kill the one she loved and slaughter the rest of her Shinigami friends.

Urahara sat forward again. "If I may," he gestured to the bandages bound around Ulquiorra's chest. The Espada gave him a curt nod. Urahara's deft hands quickly, yet gently enough removed the bandages. Ulquiorra's emerald eyes widened. His pale chest was unscarred and unmarked. Ulquiorra could hardly remember a time when there wasn't a four tattooed on his chest. All of this was sudden to him; being so unmarked. The Espada raised a hand and lightly rested his fingertips where is Hollow hole used to be. "Onna?" Ulquiorra looked over Urahara's shoulder and straight at Orihime visibly trembling in the doorway. Her hands clenched onto the plastic tray. He dropped his hand into his lap and continued looking at her like she was the only one in the room.

Orihime wouldn't believe her eyes. His Hollow hole was gone, so was his tattoo and those green lines under his eyes and not to mention his Hollow mask fragment. He looked so human.

Urahara disturbed the two when he started to think aloud. "Hmm… Interesting," he said, rubbing his chin. "Well, I do not have any answers for you yet but... Did Aizen ever give any of the Espada a gigai?"

"No," he answered flatly.

Urahara lowered the brim of his green and white stripped hat over his eyes. "Well, while you were healing I made you one. I will look over the results I have obtained while you were unconscious and tell you what I have found."

"I have no desire to wear one, Shinigami," Ulquiorra addressed the exiled Shinigami rather coldly but Urahara did not seem to be affected by it.

"Well, you either wear it or you have to say here." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "You know Orihime was hoping to take you with her, but since you have no desire to wear a gigai, you'll just have to stay here."

The Arrancar glanced at Orihime then closed his eyes for a moment. 'Very well, I shall comply." Orihime felt her heart skip a beat to hear him agree.

Orihime put the tray down in front of Ulquiorra. She only made him a sandwich with ham and cheese. It was so boring to her but that was all she could find and she figured that Ulquiorra would be hungry so she didn't have time to look for pickles or anything else. She had cut the white bread sandwich diagonally from a brown crust corner in half and put it in a plain white plate with a full glass of milk.

"What is this?" Ulquiorra asked, eyeing the bread and the snow white liquid in the glass.

Orihime knelt beside Urahara. "It's dinner." She replied. Urahara hoped she didn't put on anything that might make the poor man sick. "Not a proper dinner, but a plain ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of milk will have to do." Orihime smiled. "Go on, take a bite and tell me what you think!"

Ulquiorra picked up a slice and held it to his mouth. He sniffed at it before he took a bite. The bread as the onna called it was soft, and the yellow shreds tasted strange as well as the pink strip of meat that was called ham. He chewed it for a while longer before he swallowed. He didn't want to swallow down more of the soft substances. He put the sandwich back on the plate.

"Huh?" Orihime gasped upon seeing that that was all the Espada was going to eat. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Urahara laughed at her. "I think he still has to become familiar with the concept of eating food." Orihime put the tray to one side muttering some words to herself.

"So, when will he be able to get going again?" She asked the exiled Shinigami.

"Hmn? Oh, tomorrow that is if you feel up to it, Ulquiorra?" He turned his eyes to the Espada who in spite of being drained of all energy was sitting with his back as straight as an arrow. Ulquiorra gave him a curt nod to his question. "Well then, I suggest we all crawl back into bed and get some sleep." He stood up and walked out. "Good-night you two." He called out from the corridor.

Orihime sat comfortably on the floor next to Ulquiorra. Her throat was dry. She couldn't believe that the person that abducted her was now sitting next to her. Strands of auburn hair was sliding into her face as she rocked herself back and forth, waiting for him to say something.

"What are you doing, onna?" He asked. She stopped and looked at him. "Nothing…" And therein lay the problem; she didn't know what to do. She sighed and slouched her back slightly. Orihime had imagined the time when Ulquiorra would come back many times in her mind. She imagined running into his arms and he would cradle her in his arms while she cried and say that everything was going to be alright. But reality turned out to be quite different. She didn't know what to say to him or how to act towards him.

"Well, what are you going to do now that you're here, you know here in the World of the Living?" She asked anxiously, twirling her thumbs around each other.

Ulquiorra turned away from her and looked directly in front of him. What was he to do in the World of the Living? In Hueco Mundo he was given orders; he had a master to tell him his objectives and goals and then execute them. What was he to do now that there was no master?

Orihime waited for him to answer her. She saw that he was thinking about what she had said and now she was thinking as well. "Hey, why don't you come stay by me?"

Ulquiorra moved his emerald orbs to her grey eyes. "What do you mean onna?"

"I mean you come and live with me. Urahara's place is obviously not big enough for one more person and I happen to have a spare room in my apartment."

The espada closed his eyes. "Very well, I shall comply."

Orihime's lit up. "Really, you don't have a problem with it?" She asked happily. Now she wouldn't be so lonely at night anymore. She had a roommate from now on. She didn't know why but she found that she trusted this espada with her life if it came to it.

"No, onna, I do not," He replied calmly. He admitted to himself that staying in the World of the Living was going to be rather interesting.

An annoying melodic chime sounded in the air. Orihime took the ringing device from her pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hello Inoue-san," the Quincy said.

Orihime had completely forgotten that he was going to call her. "Ishida-kun how is everything over there?" She desperately tried change the subject before it even started.

"Fine though Matsumoto-san is walloping about, annoying everyone else since you left. Tatsuki gave Rangiku her share of the prize money and for some reason beyond me she dragged Captain Hitsugaya and me along with into every single shop this place had. But I know you're trying to sidetrack me. So, why are you back in Karakura Town?" He asked frankly.

"Uhm…. Uhhmmm…" Orihime stuttered and shot a glance back towards the espada. "Well, Urahara-san wanted me to come and meet someone."

"He wanted you to go all that way just to meet someone?" Uryu asked. All-in-all Orihime was telling the truth, she just left out a small detail. That person was Ulquiorra Schiffer. "I want you to be honest with me, Inoue-san."

Orihime sighed. "Okay, but promise you won't yell at me or tell anyone else, especially Kurosaki-kun. You promise right, Ishida-kun?" She could just imagine all seven sorts of hell that would rise up if anyone else knew Ulquiorra was alive.

"I promise, Inoue-san," he said. Now she had peeked his interest. "Argh, hold on Inoue-san. Make your own dinner; I made food for everyone last night and not one word of thanks." He yelled over to someone on his end of the line. "Sorry, you were about to tell me why you left."

Orihime was nervous. She paced about the small room, passing Ulquiorra about five times before she managed to stand still. "Okay, Urahara-san did call me to come and meet someone, but when I got here he was completely unconscious with drip in his arm and everything."

"Who was it that you had to meet, Inoue-san?" He asked again patiently.

"Oh right… Uh… It was only Ulquiorra." She hoped he would not freak out too much; otherwise everyone else would start asking him questions.

"Where is he?" The Quincy's voice was serious.

"Right next to me why?"

"Is Urahara or anyone else with you now?" His voice remained the same.

Orihime didn't know what to tell him, but she had promised to tell him the truth. "No, he's asleep, along with everyone else, why?" She was pacing about the small room, passing Ulquiorra a total of five times again. After a while she calmed herself down enough to stand still.

"I don't like this, Inoue-san," he admitted. "How did he get there? Did Aizen send him?" The Quincy asked question after question.

"No, Urahara-sama thinks that I was the one to bring him back." Orihime replied. "He said something about my power signatures being on him-"

"But your hair clips vanished when we came back, along with your powers." The Quincy said to the fact.

Now Orihime had to tell him her secret. "Well, I tried to bring him back before we left Hueco Mundo, and then only did my clips disappear." She sighed, relieved that she was finally able to tell someone, sure Urahara-sama knew but that was different.

"What?" The Quincy sounded genuinely surprised. "Why would you do that if he held you captive Inoue-san?" Orihime didn't fully understand herself so how was she supposed to explain it to him. "I have no idea why I tried, but I did."

A heavy silence followed. "What is he going to do then, now that he's here?"

"Oh, he'll be staying at my place," she told the Quincy with some bounce in her voice. "Urahara-san's place is a little too small for one more person so I offered that he stay with me."

She heard Uryu sigh and breath in deeply. "Well, just take care of yourself and watch him. I'll come over as soon as we're back in town, okay? I won't tell the others on the condition that you don't let that Espada out of your site… I don't trust him." With that, the Quincy said his good-bye and hung up.

Orihime closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. "Well, that was Ishida-kun," she told Ulquiorra who didn't seem that slightest bit interested in who she had talked to. "He'll be coming over in a day or two to-" Orihime put her hand in front of her mouth when a large yawn escaped. "I think I'm gonna go back to bed, and you should too, Ulquiorra. We have a big day tomorrow!" She skipped off to the door but came to a sudden halt.

Ulquiorra stared at her. She turned around with a big smile on her face. "Nighty-night, Ulquiorra!" She briefly waved at him before she left him to sleep. The Espada sat there for some time just look at the door which the onna left from. He closed his eyes and slowly lowered himself back down onto the mattress. He just lay there gazing at the ceiling above him until the fatigue of his body finally dragged him into a peaceful sleep.

**Oooooh, I think I smell a fire outside, so that can only mean one thing: DINNER TIME! Sorry, but I'm starving. Between all the studying and writing this chap I haven't eaten anything since breakfast… So I'm gonna be selfish and end it there and go have some awesome braaied chicken. ^.^ Hope you guys like the progress so far. I will update as soon as I can, I would even start straight after dinner, but … I have studying to do. The horror! Oh, Happy Birthday again, Mitchie! **

**Have an awesomely super day everyone! **

**This part is dedicated to BosBaBe, who, sadly cannot be with me in school, so I type this for her so that she has a few laughs about her favourite teacher and bestest buddy. Miss you, Bossi! ^^**

**Right, hi. This is now a new collection of real events that took place now in my school, more specifically my English class in 2011. I'm in my senior year now, grade 10. I'm liking it so far. Mr Leighton is still my English teacher. BUT I am in a new class… sadly there is no more Max… *A moment of silence please* He didn't die or anything, he'd just in a different class than me this year. Older versions of 'Days of My School Life' are attached to my Hellsing story, so if you feel lost reading this go read the other parts in 'Tears of the Past'. **

**All the usual… These are real events that happened to real people (me included) with a real teacher at a real school, no really. I will make use of the students' alias's or use their surname. **

**Enjoy this new addition of: The Days of My School Life. **

Right… First day going along fine so far. I met my new homeroom teacher, who doubles as my EGD (Engineering Graphics and Design) teacher. He is alright, but one more word about the Blue Bulls and I'm gonna destroy something. (For those of you who do not watch or know what Rugby is, the Blue Bulls are a very arrogant, hot-headed South African rugby team that thinks they own everything. I myself prefer the Western Province or the Sharks.) He keeps on trying to convert one of my fellow classmates, France *nickname* to play school rugby. The poor boy only has a passion (That is very infuriating in itself) for professional mountain cycling. He even came third for the South African champs!

When that was done I was glad to find out that my desk buddy, Dread, who I have known for three years now and is like a brother to me is in my class. Flossi *nickname* is also in my class this year. We were Grommies (babies of the school) together in grade 8. She is kinky and reaaaalllly likes squeaky chairs to annoy me with. Is open-minded when it comes to… ahem let's say certain subjects.

Flossi, Carol *nickname* and I were walking to the "school gathering place" for the grade 10's turn for the school tour. Not that we needed it really, but there were a few changes. The hall was split into two classrooms and some were moved. I saw Mr Leighton coming out the door leading to old administration building, when he stopped and pointed to the gravel patch by the new temporary classrooms.

"Ten's go that way," he grumbled loud enough for those of us to hear. "Rest of you get to where you're supposed to be and don't ask me 'cause I don't have a schedule."

I followed his instructions and dragged the other two to the gravel patch. Soon other followed suit and gathered. Mr Leighton came by and glanced over us when Ms McAuliffe came along. 'Great,' I thought sarcastically. 'My favourite teacher and lets say not so favourite teacher are gonna give us the tour. Swell.'

Luckily Mr Leighton did most of the talking. "Right and you use those bathrooms there-" he was pointing in the direction of the toilets that the juniors use when some students interrupted him.

"Sir, we're seniors now, so we can use the inside bathrooms!" Boltman *surname* shouted from somewhere. Thank whoever in charge up above that he was not in my class. He talks and gossips soooo much and drives me nuts.

Mr Leighton chuckled. "Right, I forgot. Right, the newbies here, you use the inside toilets that are really nice. You are now banned from using the stinky ones down there." We all cheered at his statement, but unfortunately our moment of merriment was ruined when Ms McAuliffe mention the dreaded Karoo Challenge.

It's a camp that's compulsory for the grade 10's, a 18 day long camp filled with hiking, rowing, hiking, hiking some more and LOTS of cycling. I don't even know how to ride a bike and they want me to do it with people who have been doing it for seven years of their life? Plus you need one of those expensive bikes with all the gears and shit. You need to buy your own tent, a good backpack and some other equipment. Let me tell you now all that, minus the bike is a shit load of money! (Pardon my language, but they think just because I got to a private school that my family is swimming in money! My old neighbor, who is like a grandparent to me, is paying my school fees. So to say I have a strong opinion against this whole thing is an understatement.)

We all started moaning when she said that no one will get out of it. THREE people injured themselves during the camp last year, no they were not scrapes, they had freaking broken wrists and legs, and even Ms McAuliffe broke her own rib. Medical costs are insane down here and she wants me to take part? I say "'eff that, they can sooner drag me to an asylum than see me take part in that."

After the tour was over there was another ten minute break. After that we had to collect our textbooks. I came out with like thirteen books and an EGD drawing workbook. Now I have to carry all that on my back. We have NO lockers! We aren't even allowed to have messenger bags! My zips burst last year, so I had it fixed before school and they sure as hell are gonna burst some time this year again. I actually weighed the freaking bag with the books in it… it weighs freaking kg! 10!

So now I wait for school to officially to begin.

**It's not as funny as the previous ones, but this **_**was **_**only the first day so I hope to be typing more hilarious events about my English class in the future.**

**See ya next time people! ^^**


	3. New Beginning

**Hello, Manga here! Welcome to chapter 02. I'm really hyped to do this chap. ^^ **

**I've read all the updates on Bleach and I know that Ichigo lost his reiatsu and that, but it's too late to work it in now. Plus I don't care all that much about him! He basically just **_**vreks **_**(your favourite word BosBaBe) everyone that he considers bad! Poor Espada… ^^ On to what you're all here for. **

**Well, enjoy chapter 02: **

**New Beginning**

Ulquiorra woke hours before any of the others in the household did. This gave him time to think over the past day's events. It was some time after dawn that he heard the others start moving about the place. When the door slid open he expected to see the onna but instead was greeted by a small black-haired girl. She carried in a tray with a cup of hot tea, sugar and milk. She padded her way slowly towards the ex-Espada and put the tray down next to him. She took the tray that Orihime had brought last night and went back out again.

The ex-Espada knew what was in the cup but he did not want to touch it. However, his body told him otherwise and that he needed that hot herbal liquid. He remembered the tea parties/mission briefs that Aizen held back in Las Noches; back then he was forced to partake and drink the tea. The Arrancar grabbed the small cup of milk and added a small amount to the tea and stirred it with the teaspoon. He never added any sugar; he couldn't stand the sweet substance.

He lifted the porcelain cup to his parted lips and sipped at the hot tea. Ulquiorra took his time in drinking it, but he was done with it before anyone else came into the room. He sat there with a straight back, looking straight ahead of him. Only when the door slid open again did he avert his attention.

"Ah, I see you drank your tea," Urahara said in a pleased tone. "Well, how about we try and get you up and going, ne?" he smiled at the stoic ex-Espada, walking closer to him.

"I shall assist myself," Ulquiorra said to the exiled Shinigami when he had extended his hand. Urahara shrugged and stepped back, not willing to force the man into allowing him to help.

Ulquiorra moved his legs right up against his chest and slowly put his weight onto them until felt he could get up. Carefully he stood up, but not without a stagger or two. He noticed the white cotton pants he was wearing. Urahara was close by and was impressed by the Espada's determination to do matters himself when others would beg for help. From the readings he got from the machines last night, he should not have been even able to sit up, let alone stand.

"Well, I'll show you to the bathroom so that you can clean up. Then we shall give you your gigai." he lead Ulquiorra out of the room for the first time since he was there and told him that he would be free to use what be pleased.

After the exiled Shinigami left Ulquiorra opened the knob to let the water run from the shower head. He looked about the place. It was a small bathroom with white tiled walls, a mirror, a basin, counter, and with both a bath and shower. He noticed a folded towel resting on the edge of the bath and underneath some clothes for him to wear. Ulquiorra discarded the bandages and threw them in a bin by the door. He felt the temperature of the running water before he discarded the pants and boxers he had on as well. He folded both items neatly and placed them on the counter and climbed into the shower and slid the glass door closed behind him.

XxxxX

Orihime was looking at herself in a small mirror, everything was fine. Her pink top was not too tight and her three-quarter jean was comfortable. She looked at her face and then noticed the wild state of her hair. She dug through her bag, trying to find her hair brush but it just seemed to be missing. Orihime was pouncing about everywhere looking for her missing brush. _I guess I forgot it at camp, but Rangiku will give it back to me_, she told herself. She strode her way into the kitchen.

"Morning everyone!" she exclaimed happily. Yoruichi and Urahara replied with a kind morning as well, while Ururu and Jinta remained silent. "Um, Yoruichi, can I maybe borrow a hair brush? I seemed to have forgotten mine."

Yoruichi smiled. "Sure thing, just head into the bathroom and you'll find it in the counter by the sink," she told the auburn haired teenager.

Orihime skipped past where Ulquiorra was sleeping, thinking that he was still asleep and went straight for the bathroom.

Urahara eyed the purple-haired woman sitting next to him. "You know that Ulquiorra is taking a shower in the bathroom, right?" he asked with a glint in his eyes. "WHAT? Why didn't you stop her or tell me?" Yoruichi shouted at him, flaying her arms about. "I only just remembered, sorry," he replied calmly and apologetically, holding his palms up in defense.

XxxxX

Orihime opened the door and walked in. A wall of white steam slithered about, but she didn't pay attention, thinking that Yoruichi was the last one to use the bathroom. She bent down and searched, but she couldn't find the brush anywhere.

"Onna, what are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked from behind her.

Orihime jumped, she didn't expect him to be there. "Ulquiorra, don't scare me like th-" she cut herself off in the middle of her sentence when she saw the ex-Espada.

Ulquiorra stood in the shower and with only a fluffy white towel around his waist. His water logged hair stuck to the sides of his face while small droplets dripped off of the ends and pooled at the nape of his neck. He stepped out of the shower and directly in front of the blushing onna. "Is there something you wanted, onna?" he looked down at her with his viridian green eyes.

Orihime looked at his wet, bare chest right in front of her. He was well built, but his muscle was not overdone, and it was in perfect proportion to his lean frame. Orihime felt her breath hitch as her eyes slowly spanned downwards and across his abdomen. The blush splayed across her cheeks deepened. Her grey orbs traveled their gaze back up to his pale face.

"I – uh… I was l-looking for a hair brush?" she could hardly remember why she even went up to the bathroom to get anyway. She averted her eyes and turned on her heel to leave, but in her haste her foot twisted the bath rug and tripped on her next step. In the next moment she expected to hit the hard tiled floor but instead felt a soft grip at her waist and warm, wet barricade on her back. She opened her eyes and saw two pale hands gently encircled about her waist, careful not to hurt her. She looked up, the side of her face coming into contact with Ulquiorra's chest; her tanned skin hot against his.

Ulquiorra let got of her pinched waist and stepped back. Orihime was disappointed at the loss of skin contact. She lowered her head and stepped out of the bathroom, leaving the Espada to change.

Orihime skipped her way to the kitchen and made herself a big bowl filled to the brim with cereal and milk. She set the bowl down at the table. Everyone else besides Yoruichi widened their eyes at the mountain of cereal in the bowl.

"Orihime, you're not gonna eat all that are you?" Urahara asked.

The auburn-haired girl smiled at him. "Well, of coarse I am! Who else is gonna eat it?" she asked back sarcastically. Everyone watched as she delved her way through the bowl until there was nothing left. "That was yummy!" Orihime exclaimed, taking her bowl to the sink.

Orihime stood around, talking to Yoruichi. She was in the middle of her sentence when Yoruichi smiled and pointed in the direction of the door. Ulquiorra was standing in the doorway fully dressed in black, baggy tracksuit pants and a white t-shirt that was properly two sizes too big. Orihime giggled and skipped over to the ex-Espada.

"I see that the gigai is in order." the shopkeeper stated, impressed with his own handiwork.

Ulquiorra rotated his shoulders and closed his eyes. "I feel much heavier, in turn slowing my speed and reaction a great deal."

"Don't worry about it, it's perfectly normal." Urahara waved his hand as if to shoo the Arrancar's problems away.

"Come on, lets get you some shoes and then we can head off," she said, pulling him by his arm.

Once Ulquiorra had a pair of running shoes on, Orihime said her good-byes and left with Ulquiorra carrying half of her stuff, while Orihime only carried her vanity case slung over her shoulder. He didn't complain the bags where feather-light to him in fact. They walked down the street with Orihime leading and Ulquiorra following a safe distance behind.

The auburn-haired teenager abruptly stopped. "Walk next to me," she said, waiting for him to get closer. "Otherwise I won't know if you're following or not!" she smiled warmly at him as he got closer. Ulquiorra stopped a meter or two away from her. "No silly! I meant right next to me." she slid her hand around his arm and pulled him along, letting go as soon as he was shoulder to shoulder with her.

Ulquiorra found the onna's actions strange. She wanted him next to her, not following her, but she wanted him to be an equal? The ex-Espada was astounded by the onna's willingness to try and forget his manner towards her when he held her captive. He led while he expected her to oblige and follow quietly.

They walked through the busier parts of Karakura in order to get to Orihime's apartment quicker. Ulquiorra swept his viridian eyes across every street, looking out for a possible threat. Ulquiorra was busy looking at the other end of the street when Orihime suddenly stopped, making him bump into her. She was bent down slightly, happily smelling at a bright yellow flower.

"Onna, what are you doing?" he asked curiously, wondering what was so intriguing about the coloured plant. The onna picked the flower up from out of the water bucket and held it for him to smell.

"Go on. Smell it," she instructed her grey eyes catching the rays of sunlight sharply. "It won't bite."

Ulquiorra lowered his face a fraction and sniffed at the yellow flower. The sent was sweet and tickled his nose, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. The floral sent smelt faintly like the onna standing beside him smelling all the different flowers.

Orihime made him smell every one of them. She looked at him and laughed. "Ulquiorra, you've some pollen on your face." she giggled softly at the mustard yellow substance on his nose. She gently rubbed it off with her thumb, and was surprised at how smooth his skin was, it was something she didn't notice before.

She blushed faintly and turned her face away from him so that he wouldn't notice. An elderly lady stepped out of the flower shop and smiled kindly at Orihime.

"See something you like deary?"

Orihime nodded keenly. "But they are all so pretty; I can't decide which one though."

The old lady walked closer and looked over at the flowers, analyzing each one of them. She turned her attention to Ulquiorra who was standing a little distance from Orihime. "Maybe your boyfriend can help you decide, eh deary?" she looked expectantly at the annoyed Arrancar.

"Oh, he's not my-" Orihime cut herself off when Ulquiorra stepped past her and looked over the flowers. The auburn-haired teenager could not believe her eyes. He was actually going to buy her a flower?

He did not even know why the old woman was referring to him as her boyfriend, he did not even know what it meant, but he took the hint and scanned over the flowers. Ulquiorra noticed a small bunch of soft blue flowers in the bottom corner that the onna had not noticed. They looked strangely familiar to him, as if he had seen them somewhere before. But there were no flowers in Hueco Mundo; there was no life there at all. It was the only place he had known. He gently took the flower by its stem and turned to Orihime. Carefully he placed the flower by her ear, brushing away stray strands of hair that he tucked in behind her ear as well.

Orihime felt her cheeks heat up in a blush. She then recalled earlier in the bathroom when she had her cheeks pressed up against his chest and his hands around her waist. The memory caused her blush to deepen and spread across her cheeks.

"Aren't you two the cutest things," the old woman cooed from the flower stand. Orihime suddenly became aware that they where in a public place, in front of other people, but luckily for her the only person that took notice was the old lady. "Don't worry about the flower, it's on the house."

"Th-thank you," Orihime said. Smiling warmly at the old lady then pulled Ulquiorra along. She was uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the walk to her place. As they climbed the stairs, the landlord bumped into them.

"Morning, Inoue-san," the bald, slightly obese man greeted.

"Morning, Honda-san, was there something you needed?" Orihime asked, but she wanted to get to her apartment as soon as possible before he started asking questions about Ulquiorra standing behind her.

"Oh nothing, I was just looking for poor Bojangles. He slipped out of the door this morning while I got the newspaper, but that old blighter will be home for supper; spoilt cat." he said, clearing his throat when he finally noticed the ex-Espada. "Who might this be?"

Orihime sighed. "Oh… um… T-this is Ulquiorra Schiffer. He is an exchange student from Spain, and he'll be staying for a while. You don't mind, do you?" she sincerely hoped he didn't have a problem with it otherwise where would the ex-Espada go?

The landlord was scratching his stomach while he narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired, pale skinned youth behind his tenant. "There's no problem, as long as he can pay you half the rent every month."

He started talking to the onna about something to do with fixing some pipe when Ulquiorra felt something press itself against his left leg. He looked down and saw a four-legged, fur coated creature circling around his leg. The creature started to purr and sat on his foot, wanting to be picked up. The small creature was annoying him a great deal.

"Oh, Bojangles!" the landlord shouted and scooped the cat up from Ulquiorra's leg. "Naughty-naughty cat!" he scolded. "Well, good day you two," he called after them as he started walking back down the stairs.

Ulquiorra stared after the man until he was out of sight and turned around to the onna. She had a large smile on her face.

"What is it, onna?" he asked frankly.

Orihime's smile grew. "He liked you!"

"Who, onna?" he asked walking up the stairs.

"The cat, Bojangles." she sulked, jealousy apparent in her voice. She dug around in her tote bag for her keys. "He never did anything like that to me since I lived here for three years… Lucky…" she was genuinely jealous that a cat gave Ulquiorra attention upon first sight when she had lived there for so long and had not even glanced in her direction. Finding the key, Orihime slipped it into the slot and turned. She pushed the door open and jumped inside. "I'm home!" she shouted to no one in particular. "Well, come on in, Ulquiorra," she waved for him to come in and watched with amusement as he took his usual slow, precise steps.

The Arrancar stood in the middle of the lounge area looking around with disinterest. It was small but it was neat, not that be did not expect anything else from the onna. With the bags still slung over his shoulders, he wandered around while the onna was drifting in and out of the kitchen. He stopped by her desk and swept his gaze over it, everything was straight in its place. A black book with notes peeking out it lay under a small pile of other books. Curious, Ulquiorra quietly and neatly placed the others book to one side and drew the black, hardcover book closer.

He flipped the book open and was confused by what he saw behind the black cover. A whole series of rough sketches were scattered over the page. The lines were rough and dark, and contradicted how the onna really was; she was gentle, she was light. There was a sketch or two of Hueco Mundo's crescent moon, but the majority of the sketches were of Ulquiorra.

Flipping to the next page, the ex-Espada felt something hit him when he saw the next drawing. It was a full page spread and was the darkest black he had ever seen on a page. It depicted the time when Ulquiorra in his Resurrección Segunda Etapa. The Espada was holding Kurosaki Ichigo off of the ground, strangling the substitute Shinigami with his lithe tail.

Ulquiorra remembered the screaming plea that the onna had shrieked at him as clear as day. The ex-Espada had ignored her. He had orders to fulfill and the substitute Shinigami was making a sheer nuisance of himself.

He heard the onna pounce around somewhere behind him. Ulquiorra took the book in hand –the page still open on the same place– and turned to her.

"Onna, what is the meaning of this?" he looked directly at her, but her back was turned.

Orihime was reaching up to get washing powder in the top shelf of a wall cupboard.

"Meaning of what, Ulquiorra?" she thought he had a problem with something in her apartment. _He probably isn't used to all the colour in here_, she told herself. Settling back flat onto her feet she swirled around and met the Arrancar with a smile. Her smile faded when her grey doe eyes fell upon her open sketchbook in his hand.

"Oh… that," she said almost too inaudibly. "It–it's my sketchbook."

"I already have that information, onna," he said stoically, his viridian green eyes not faltering from her blushing face. "What I want to know is why you drew this," he continued, raising the book to let her see what page he was on. "You begged for me not to go through with the attack and when it was executed you shattered, rushing over to him, even though he was beyond healing." he paused, looking at the onna who had lowered her head and was looking solely at her bare feet.

Orihime was twisting the hem of her shirt around her fingers until the material could not stretch any further. Biting her lips she slowly looked up at the ex-Espada. He had closed the book but still held it firm in hand.

"I…" her sentence trailed off into mumbles that the Arrancar could not make out into words.

"I suggest you speak up, onna," he said tonelessly. The bags slid off his shoulders and onto the wooden floor with a dull thud that made the onna jump in her place. He took a step or two closer to her to convey his message a little more clearly.

"I… I…" Orihime could not bring herself to get past the first word. Her cheeks were burning and she knew that her cheeks would be a bright red by now. "I – well… I…" her face snapped up as she saw him now directly in front of her, his body an inch away from hers. She stepped backwards until her back was straight against the wall cupboard.

Ulquiorra followed her actions and stepped forward, determined to get an answer from her. "I am awaiting an answer from you, onna."

Orihime felt her heart thrash against her chest. Why did he want an answer so badly? Was he offended? Orihime couldn't find any reason why he would be offended, but it was all within the realm of possibilities.

"I…" she took a deep breath, "I guess I just didn't want to forget…" she gathered enough courage to look up at him in the eye.

"Forget?" when he thought he had found a human's limit –more specifically the onna's- they just went and set the bar even higher. What did she not want to forget? The pain? The loneliness? The despair when every last one of her friends was falling down around her? The human psyche was its own labyrinth.

Orihime stood a little straighter, and lifted her chin a fraction. Though the blush had yet to leave her face. "I didn't want to forget what you taught me."

The frown on Ulquiorra's face deepened as he heard the words leave her lips. She did not want to forget what he had taught her? The last time Ulquiorra checked, she was the prisoner and he the captor - not a teacher.

Orihime fiddled with her fingers, casting her eyes down again. The door bell rang, sending the poor girl's heart into a rampage. Ulquiorra slid his free hand into his pocket while the other held onto the sketch book that seemed to distress the ex-Espada somewhat. Orihime tried her best not to brush against Ulquiorra as she walked past to get the door.

She looked through the peeper hole and banged her head against the door. Just what she needed: an over-protective Quincy breathing down her neck too. Orihime slid down the door in despair.

The teenager heard someone else on the other side of the door kick their feet against the tiled floor. "You sure she's home, Uryu?" Orihime sank down further, practically lying on the floor. Tatsuki too? How did she even find out? Wait, scratch that question. She probably beat it out of the poor Quincy. Orihime literally shook herself back to her current problem. What has she going to do with Ulquiorra when she let them in or rather what were they going to do to him?

The auburn-haired teenager lightly clenched her hands and hit her head from both sides. She thought Uryu was going to stop by later and her later was after dinner, forgetting that Uryu's later was 10 o'clock in the morning. She forgot she was sitting against the door and thrush her head backwards.

"Inoue-san, are you in there?" Uryu called from outside. He knocked a few times on the door before putting his keen ear to the door. Someone was in there from all the mumbling he heard.

Orihime had to force herself to get up. She took a moment to glance around and then saw Ulquiorra standing in the middle of her apartment, blankly staring at her.

"Um… feel free to sit down," she waved towards the couch. She was hoping he would but the ex-Espada remained rooted in his place. "Or stand, whatever floats your boat." she forced down the nervous feeling in her stomach. Orihime placed her hand on the door knob and suddenly swung the door wide open, causing the curious Quincy to nearly land flat on his face. "Hi!"

Tatsuki caught Uryu's arm and pulled him up before he did smash into the floor. The Quincy pushed his glasses back into place, with a slight pink blush on his face.

"Okay, spill it!" Tatsuki demanded from her friend.

Orihime raised an eyebrow. So Uryu didn't tell, but then why was she even here? Unless, she completely missed something at camp and the two dark-haired teenagers were dating. Orihime thought they would make a good couple and their children would be just as adorable.

"What do you mean exactly?" the auburn-haired teenager really had no idea what Tatsuki wanted from her. Truth be told she was still shocked a bit by Ulquiorra's demanding behavior a moment earlier.

Tatsuki pouted slightly before she got an angry glint in her eyes. "I mean what the hell is up with you just getting up in the middle of our camp retreat and bribing Uryu here to tell a lie for you to everyone else!"

"She didn't bribe me!" the Quincy stated as if it was the umpteenth time he had told her that. Tatsuki simply shrugged her shoulders. "Mm-hmm, whatever," she replied flatly. The dark-haired teenager crossed her arms over her chest in a manner that seemed very threatening, especially considering that she was a black belt. Tatsuki flashed her eyes at Orihime and in that moment noticed the figure standing in her apartment.

"Who the fuck is that?" she pointed to Ulquiorra who was still standing in the same place and quietly observing the whole ordeal.

Uryu sigh. "Tatsuki-san, please, you langue," he said in a scolding manner. He did not like it when his friends used such foul words outside of the battlefield. What made it worse was the fact that women used them just as readily.

Tatsuki blinked at the Quincy for a moment. "What did you want me to say? Did you expect a 'oh my gosh', 'who on earth is he' or 'holy crackers'?" she asked teasingly, almost forgetting about the young man in Orihime's apartment. She turned her attention back to her beloved auburn-haired friend.

"That's just Ulquiorra," Orihime answered as if they were casually talking about school tasks or kittens. "What?" Tatsuki blew her top. "As in the bastard that kidnapped you; that Ulquiorra?" Orihime did not know how to respond to the question and just smiled weakly.

Being in a current state of rage, Tatsuki pushed Orihime out of the way and stomped over to Ulquiorra, raising her tightly clenched fist. The ex-Espada had anticipated the move when the human had made her way over to him and simply sidestepped her punch. The gigai was too slow for his liking, but he told himself that he would just have to adjust.

Tatsuki came again, this time striking her fists quicker but the ex-Espada had foreseen all this and simply dodged them. Ulquiorra tired of the human the moment she threw her first punch. He found many openings and if it were a real fight, the human would have been on the floor the moment she set a foot in his direction.

"Your efforts are futile, human," Ulquiorra remarked as he ducked under another horizontal swing of Tatsuki's arm.

"Tatsuki-chan stop!" Orihime squealed from the door. "Uryu, aren't you going to do something?" she asked the Quincy who stoop next to her. He seemed surprised at her question. The Quincy shook his head. He had no desire to get punched in the gut or get his arm fractured in multiple places again.

Ulquiorra continued to promptly dodge all Tatsuki's swirling advances. Orihime was anxious that either of them would get hurt and with her powers gone she could do nothing to ease any pain.

Orihime held her breath and rushed in-between the two. With her arms spread out as to completely block Tatsuki's way to Ulquiorra.

"Enough please, Tatsuki-chan," she pleaded to her childhood friend. Tatsuki flashed her eyes from the Arrancar to her auburn-haired friend.

"You're defending him?" Tatsuki bellowed with rage seeping into every fiber of her being. "Even after everything he did? Holding you captive and threatening to kill us if you set a foot wrong? You should be trying to kill the bastard!"

Orihime bowed her head so that her stray strands of hear flooded over her face. "Enough." her whisper was too soft to be heard with human ears, but one stoic ex-Espada caught onto the words.

Tatsuki was oblivious to the auburn-haired girl's request and continued.

"When you came back you had lost almost half your body mass while you were there! Remember when I stayed here? Well, I pretended to play dumb, but I knew you had nightmares – no you _still_ have them. You kept on saying 'Ulquiorra' and then you would cry in your sleep. So, don't you dare try and defend him after everything he did to you." Tatsuki was slightly out of breath by the time she had finished.

"Enough." Orihime said slightly louder. "Enough, Tatsuki-chan, Ulquiorra never hurt me. He… He was the one that protected me from the other Hollows inside Las Noches. He looked after me, going so far as to have to resort to force feeding me when I rejected any food that found its way into my body." Orihime lifted her head, a gap in the curtain of auburn hair in her face showed those slate-grey eyes that often over flowed with tears. Those slate-grey eyes now held a shadowy glint of protectiveness over the Arrancar.

Tatsuki backed down, not wanting to hurt her friend. Orihime gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, why don't we sit down, have something to drink and talk this over?"

XxxxX

Uryu went inside Orihime's apartment and closed the door behind him. He looked over at Tatsuki as he passed her and saw a large amount of hatred in her dark eyes. The Quincy sat down on the couch, not looking forward to the approaching conversation. She soon followed the Quincy and sat down next to him.

Orihime gave a small smile and then motioned Ulquiorra to one of the armchairs across from the couch. Once Ulquiorra was seated, she went to the kitchen and took four glasses from the cupboard and filled them with ice and litchi flavoured water. She carefully balanced the full tray and made her way to the living room again. Tatsuki and Uryu accepted the refreshment, but neither drank and Orihime knew better than to offer to the ex-Espada who would just decline the drink.

Orihime set the tray on the coffee table in between the two armchairs and then sat down herself. Folding her hands in her lap, she shifted herself around in the chair until she felt a little more comfortable. Orihime glanced to the side at Ulquiorra and saw that he was looking at Tatsuki straight in the eye.

Uryu sighed. "Well, Inoue-san, why don't you explain from the very beginning and then we will see where the conversation takes us," the Quincy said, eager to get the whole ordeal over with.

Orihime gave a slight nod of her head and thought back for a while to were it all started. "Well, it started when we were all walking back to camp from the beach after the volleyball competition, Urahara-san called by cell phone. He said that something I did a while back worked and that I needed to get back to Karakura Town right away." Orihime paused to take a sip of water and then continued. "Of course, at the time I had no idea what he was talking about, but he sounded serious, almost anxious."

Tatsuki sat there, not looking very convinced. The Quincy gave another sigh and filled in his part in getting Orihime back to Karakura Town.

"Right and when I got there, I met with Yoruichi-san who took me to see Urahara-san and then I finally saw, Ulquiorra, lying there with an IV in his arm and dressed with bandages up to his neck." she held her own diminutive hand up to her neck to emphasize her point.

Ulquiorra stayed quiet during the whole ordeal, thinking that he had no need or desire to explain himself to humans. He noticed the dark-haired, fierce-eyed human girl that the onna referred to 'Tatsuki' glared at him for the duration of Orihime's explanation. The Arrancar ignored her and kept his viridian eyes locked in the same position for what seemed like a length of time.

"Please, don't be angry at, Ulquiorra, he did nothing wrong," Orihime started, raising her head a little higher. "If anything, you need to be angry at me. I was the one that tried to bring him back before I left Hueco Mundo. I am the reason he is sitting here in front of you."

Tatsuki opened her mouth to back-chat her, but the words seemed to die in her mouth. Tatsuki felt like her head was like a railway network with all the questions that streamed through her mind. She wanted to ask why she bothered to bring back a killer, heartless being, her captor… a Hollow.

"Why?" Tatsuki finally found a voice to her thoughts. She shifted her gaze to Orihime, studying her intensely. The auburn-haired girl had drawn her legs up to her chest, her toes curling over the end of her seat, arms wrapped about her knees and head buried in her lap. She seemed so helpless to Tatsuki at that moment.

Uryu sighed heavily through his nose, pushing his glasses up. The Quincy too had a prying feeling to know her true reasons for trying to revive the Espada.

"Because… I'm in his debt for countless reasons."

"What?" Tatsuki felt her anger bubble to the surface again. "What the hell could he have done that you now owe him for? Huh?"

"He saved my life," Uryu replied for Orihime. "Kurosaki had lost control and was about to cut me down then Ulquiorra broke his mask, in turn saving me."

All eyes shifted to the stiff ex-Espada. His face was blank, as if he did not care about what or who they were talking about. After a moment he closed his eyes.

"Don't misinterpret my actions, human," he opened his eyes again, "I did not do it to save your life. I merely seized the only opportunity I had to break his mask. And as for you, onna, I merely followed my orders to take care for you and insure your well-being."

Uryu sighed once more and took a sip of his water. Tatsuki found herself looking firmly at the ceiling with her arms tensely wrapped over her chest. Orihime had turned her entire body to be facing the ex-Espada, smiling at him warmly. Ulquiorra noticed the onna's actions and looked at her in turn, his dark brow furrowed slightly at how she was smiling at him when he had just told her that he was merely following orders to feed and protect her.

The Quincy glanced at the watch around his wrist and set his glass down on the coffee table next to him.

"Well, I need to get going," he announced. "Father wants me to stop by the hospital in a few minutes, but we will discuss this further at a later time." He stood up and looked down at Tatsuki. "Are you staying or shall I escort you home?"

Tatsuki huffed out some air before she stood up along side Uryu as well.

"Tch, I can walk myself home, you know!" she snapped at the well-mannered teen. It was obvious that she was still angry, but seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

Orihime was on her feet as well and walked them to the door. Ulquiorra remained seated; he saw no need to say farewells. Orihime had a wide smile on her face as she held the door open. Uryu motioned for Tatsuki to exit first, still keeping to the rule of 'ladies first'.

"I swear, Uryu, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I need to leave, or enter, or even sit before you! It's so infuriating." she hissed out her displeasure when he stood his ground.

"If you think I am being sexist, you are wrong," he said with a small smile. "I am merely being a gentleman, as what is expected of me."

Tatsuki gave up and stepped out of Orihime's apartment. Before she even knew it, Orihime gave her a large hug from behind. It wasn't a big bear hug, but more like one of understanding and thankfulness. When she finally let Tatsuki go, she gave the Quincy a hug as well.

"I'll see you two later," Orihime said with affection overflowing in her smile.

"Enjoy your day, Inoue-san." Uryu said back and led Tatsuki down the stairs.

Orihime stood there until she saw them round the street corner below and went back inside, thinking to herself that a new beginning had been set in motion.

**I know this chapter is shorter than the previous two chapters, but I'm exhausted. It's 23:46 and it's freaking 31°C here. I'll update when I can, but it might take a while. I have a compulsory First Aid course to go to for school. Wheeeeeee… *Throws coloured confetti***

**Plus my training for my school's great **_**Karoo Challenge**_** at the end of the year and that is also chewing up my time. *Throws more coloured confetti, accompanied by loud crying* I'm learning to ride a bicycle… NO smartass comments now. I sorta developed a phobia towards bikes and horses when I fell off of one and seriously injured my back. Two of my teachers are teaching me, and for that I'm very grateful. *sends hugs and flowers to said teachers* I'm making progress: I can sit on the bike… but then I **_**moer**_** right back to the ground after a few seconds of riding.**

**I hope I didn't make anyone too OOC, but I just don't like it when the whole gang just accepts one of the Espada in just like that. There is gonna be a little surprise in the next chapter. ¬_¬ **

**A big THANK-YOU to everyone that's reading, reviewing, faving and putting alerts on this story.**

**The line "Smell it" is dedicated to, Flossi, naturally.**

**Well, have an awesome day. See ya next time… **


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